Now that we have a date for the return of the Premier League, it’s time for clubs to think about how they are going to get their players physically ready.
Watford are among those with a lot to play for in the final fixtures of the season, and despite having some players feeling slightly uncomfortable about returning, everything is now on the right track for the squad to be up and at ‘em once the fixtures kick off.
That’s in great part down to the club itself, making sure all the players, including Christian Kabasele, felt safe to come back to training.
Invited on Complètement (PAS) Foot on RTBF, the Belgium international was asked about the measures Watford took in recent weeks.
He said: “Personally, I feel in total security. We’re tested every Tuesday and Friday. Over the past two weeks, it’s only been negative results. The situation at the club is therefore clean. We come in, we get our temperature taken. Before leaving our home, we have to fill out a questionnaire on an app to know if we’ve had symptoms.
“We’re not allowed at the training ground if we’ve had symptoms. I feel safer at the training complex than when I go do my shopping”.
Kabasele explained players were given the choice about returning, and Watford ‘insisted’ that if their employees didn’t feel safe, they would be allowed to delay their return.
That’s what Troy Deeney did, and the centre-back made it very clear there was ‘no pressure’ from the club to get footballers back on the pitch.
While there is still a risk of contracting the virus, that isn’t Kabasele’s main worry.
He said: “At the moment, I’m not worried about getting the virus or about my health outside of football. I’m more worried regarding my health in training, games and injuries. We’re restarting end of June.
“That’s only three weeks of training as a group. It’s largely insufficient. I think we’re going to have a lot of muscular injuries, especially with ligaments”.
